The Traitor's Home
by AnneLaurant
Summary: While in prison, Cedric dreams (or has nightmares?) of his childhood. Written for the cartoonverse, but also applicable for the comicverse if you squint. Also has OCs.


The term "ophidian" refers to the naga. I just largely prefer it for worldbuilding reasons. Also, this has my HCs about Cedric's past and family.

* * *

In his cell, Cedric also dreams.

In his dreams, he is often taken to the place of his birth. It is a town filled with towering spires, with colors brilliant and orange dominant, with hearty spices and strong smells. It is the home of the mighty ophidians, the snake-like reptilians he supposedly belonged to.

It is not his home. He cannot call it home.

But he resigns himself to the fact that he is, once again, coming back to the house that oversaw his youth.

And in his dreams, he wakes up in his old room, which he shares with his younger brother, Centennial. It is his sister, Celianna, who wakes him up - wakes both him and his brother. Cedric hears her scold them, complaining how things were easier when she and Cedric still shared beds, as she draws the curtains and reminds them, once more, than Mama Dani has headed out and is coming back for lunch, and she does not want to see chores undone.

Neil stretches his viridian green scales as he asks, What about Mama Celene?

Cely answers, Asleep as usual, dummy.

And Cedric is merely Ceddie again. Richie-poo to his mothers. Embarrassing.

Ceddie gets up, and does his work, like Cedric remembers doing. They both leave the house to both Cely and Neil, and they count their coins. It's enough for their breakfast and their midday tea.

Cedric remembers each and every face Ceddie passes. The neighbors. The vendors. The passersby. Too plain. He remembers them to be plain, and even in his dreams, they are plain. They are content with their mediocre life, their trivial jobs and errands, their meager earnings. They do not have dreams beyond making through the day alive and fed.

As Ceddie walks, he grows. He grows into a teen almost as tall as Cedric is. This teenager is still the same Ceddie, the same beloved Richie-poo his family expects at home.

But this Ceddie has a dream.

He goes to the town library and borrows a book. That one again? the librarian asks, Why are you so fascinated with Central Meridian? It does not welcome us anymore, Ceddie!

Ceddie does not answer, but Cedric knows the answer. It is for the sake of that dream.

The teen wordlessly takes the book and heads home. Mama Dani scolds him, You're late, Cedric Richard Hoffman! Ceddie hides his favorite book and nods. He is late, and that meant he only has half of dinner.

But it doesn't matter.

Ceddie forces food into his mouth as he watches his family. Mama Celene is far too happy and optimistic for a jobless head of the household. Mama Dani just sighs as she worries about tomorrow's job again. At the least, Cely's job is stable, but someone needs to look after the house, and who will do it? Neil says nothing, because he is sick and he only has one good eye left.

Ceddie pretends to finish eating, but his plate is only a handful empty. He leaves to bury his nose in his book. Cedric knows why; he knows everything.

It's that Ceddie wants to get out of this sad and dreary place. (Cedric achieved that, didn't he?)

And at the dead of the night, Ceddie is no longer Ceddie. It is now Cedric, or rather, the beginning of Cedric.

He wakes up and leaves his shared bed. He takes a bag that has nothing but tea, a few spare coins, and his favorite book. He slips on his regular day-to-day clothes and his blue cloak - then again, he has no choice.

And he turns around to face Celianna. She is suddenly there, and her face is pale as death.

"Are you really going?" Her voice feels too real, and it makes him shiver.

Nevertheless, he answers, "I am."

She casts her gaze away. He hears her unspoken thoughts: _You traitor!_

But she looks up at him. There is a sea of sadness in her eyes, but she smiles. Though the middle child, she is the strongest.

(And she always will be. She is their strength, next to Mama Dani. Celianna inherited Mama Dani's fine black scales. They both look so regal, compared to Mama Celene's drab green scales that he himself inherited. Centennial was the one in between.)

"Cedric. Whatever happens after this… just please know, you're always welcome to come home. Okay?"

"Yeah. I know."

And he leaves.

And he wakes up.

Cedric doesn't count the experience as dreams. He counts them as nightmares. He may call himself an ophidian, but Lord Cedric only worsened the reputation of his brethren, and he does not have a home to go to.

The prison, however, makes a fine home for a traitor.

* * *

In case the names confused you:

x - Celene - The head of the Hoffman household; the jobless one; has green scales

x - Dani - Celene's wife; the working parent; has black scales

x - Celianna, or Cely - Cedric's younger sister and the middle child; also the real homemaker of the household; has black scales

x - Centennial, or Neil - Cedric's younger brother and the youngest child; an illness took out one of his eyes; has viridian green scales

Also, don't worry; I'm sure they're all striped too. I just want to simplify the colors for easier recalling.


End file.
